Scaffold jack



April 1958 J. B. FRITZ ET AL 2,830,852

SCAFFOLD JACK Filed Nov. 1, 1954 INVENTORS 2 JAY 5. F/P/ 7-2 14 V%'}4?ETT J. FRITZ ATTORNEY United States Patent SCAFFOLD JACK Jay B. Fritz and Everett J. Fritz, Denver, Colo.

Application November 1, 1954, Serial No. 466,067

1 Claim. (Cl. 304-) This invention relates to improvements in scaffolds and has reference more particularly to the construction of the jack or device on which the plank floor is supported.

At the present time large numbers of brick residences for single family use are being built; many of these are but substantial scatrold or jack that can be constructed and sold-at a price well within the reach of contractors and builders of small residences.

Another object is to produce a scafiold or jack of sturdy construction that is provided with a plank or floor sup porting beam having a fiat end portion that rests on the top of a course of brick, in the space between it and the next upper course, and of a thickness not in excess of the thickness of the mortar. The outer end of the beam being supported on a leg that is adjustable in height.

Another object is to provide a scaffold support or jack provided with means adjacent its outer end for supporting in elevated position a plank floor to hold bricks and mortar available at a height convenient for the mason.

The above and other objects that may become apparent as the description proceeds are attained by means of a construction and an arrangement of parts that will now be described in detail for which purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illustrated, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the scafiold or jack, showing the same in position against a brick wall under construction;

Figure 2 is an edge view looking in the direction of arrow 2 in Figure. 1, two supports being shown;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the end of the floor beam that projects into the wall, and

Figure 4 is a view, to an enlarged scale, taken on line 44 Figure 1, parts have been broken away to reduce the overall length and some parts have been shown in section.

Referring now to the drawing, reference numeral 10 designates the surface of the ground surrounding wall 11 which is under construction. In the drawing the surface of the ground has been shown as level and flat but it is usually slanting and uneven. The wall has been shown as a masonry wall of stone or brick or blocks. In this description the wall will be referred to as of brick construction but no attempt has been made to show the thickto 2,830,852 Patented Apr. 15, 1958 2 ness of the courses to the same scale as that used for the jack.

The scaffold jack consists of a beam 12, which has been shown as an angle iron. The end adjacent the wall has the vertical flange cut back leaving the horizontal flange projecting as shown" at 13. Welded, or otherwise secured to the outer end of beam 12 is a telescopic leg comprising a pipe 14 that makes an obtuse angle with the under side of the beam. A pipe or rod 15 telescopes into the lower end of pipe 14and both have diametrical holes 16 for pin 17 by means of which the length of the leg can be adjusted. Part 15 is provided at its lower end with a cross bar 18 that extends perpendicular to the plane of the jack and serves to resist forces tending to tilt it. Braces 19 may be provided as shown. Pipe 14 projects above beam 12, as shown in Figure 1. A support is formed for a materials supporting platform, by means of a vertical angle bar 20 and a horizontal beam 21 whose outer end is secured to the top of pipe 14 by welding. A diagonal brace 22 gives rigidity to the two triangles whose other sides are 12, 14, 2t) and 21.

The invention is employed in the following manner. After the wall reaches a height above that at which the mason can work with comfort, a plurality of jacks are arranged along the wall in properly spaced relation. The ends 13 are positioned to rest on the top of the upper course, and the ground is leveled and made smooth providing a firm surface for cross bar 18 to rest on. The supporting leg is then adjusted to level the upper surface of beam 12. Planks 23 are now laid on beams 12 forming a floor for the mason to stand on. Planks 24 are laid on top of beam 21 forming a support for bricks and mortar. If the wall is so high that the mason cant reach to complete it when standing on planks 23, he must provide other means to supplement the one described. This scafiold is not designed for high walls as other scaffolds are available for any height of wall.

In multi-story buildings the scafiolding can be positioned on the inside and rest on the floor joists as the building increases in height.

Attention is directed in particular to the provision of the projecting flange 13 that extends into the wall which serves as a firm support and as an anchor. Flange 13 can be made long enough to extend entirely through the wall and can have holes for an anchor pin that engages the opposite side of the wall as indicated at 13:: in Figure l. The parts have been shown and described as welded to each other, but, if it is found that bolts or rivets are more desirable, such connecting means may be used.

Instead of making leg 14 of a piper it may be made from sections of angle iron. Such modifications are believed to constitute a choice governed by practical considerations and fall within the province of mechanical equivalents.

We claim:

A scaffold jack for use with masonry walls comprising: a floor beam having one end provided with a flattened projection for positioning on the top course of a wall under construction, said projection being of length greater than the thickness of the wall and of a thickness not greater than the mortar joint separating the courses; the inner end having an opening for a pin; a leg connected at a point between its ends to the other end of the floor beam in transverse relation, the lower portion of said leg forming a support for the outer end of said floor beam; an extension member connected to the lower end of the leg for longitudinal adjustment relative thereto; means for latching the extension member in adjusted position; a transverse bar rigidly attached to the lower end of the extension member in inverted T formation providing a ground engaging foot; a plank support beam having one end permanently secured to the upper portion of the leg; a downwardly extending support bar interconnecting the other end of the plank support beam and the floor beam; and,-a diagonal brace interconnecting the floor beam and the leg to hold said floor beam in a predetermined angular position relative thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Roney et a1 July 1, More et al. Jan. 9, Galbraith Nov. 4, Degler Aug. 3, Clark Sept. 14, McDonough May 8,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 5,

Great Britain Sept. 29, 

